The Pro Peloton’s Gravel Racers

Mar 21, 2014

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The White Gravel Roads of Tuscany

Although just eight years old, Italy’s Strade Bianche has quickly become a prestigious win, thanks to its iconic, instantly recognizable course that includes more than 50 kilometers of Tuscany’s famous white gravel roads, or sterrati. Its early March spot on the calendar also means it’s an opportunity for teams to try out new gear that they’ll use when they head north for the cobbled Classics in April.

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Throwback GPS

Even with the incredible technology found in modern cycling computers, teams often use proven approaches to giving riders information on the course, especially at races like Strade Bianche where the rules prohibit riders from using team radios. Astana mechanics printed out the course profile and made stem wraps for some riders. The loop isn’t taped to the stem, so a rider can rotate it to the appropriate spot to see where the course takes him next.

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Yellow Fluo’s Cipollini Bond

After he retired from racing, Mario “The Lion King” Cipollini started his own bike company and now provides bikes to many second-division Italian teams. The Cipollini Bond of the Yellow Fluo team (formerly Farnese Vini-Selle Italia) has a monocoque main triangle bonded to the seat- and chainstays to yield a frame that’s both aero and stiff.

If the appeal of artisanal tubular tires seems puzzling, know that the allure is so strong that a number of pro teams openly defy sponsor contracts to run tires from small makers like FMB. The distinct gum sidewalls and simple stamped model name could be found on bikes from Trek Racing, Sky, and Giant-Shimano, among other teams. Not every rider gets them, but stars and protected leaders want every advantage possible on a technical course like Strade.

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Cadel’s New BMC Team Machine SLR01

While BMC has a more appropriate gravel-roader in the Gran Fondo series, team leader Cadel Evans picked the new Team Machine SLR01, which debuted last May. There are a few tweaks for the gravel sections: 25mm-wide Continental tires and a double tape wrap on the handlebar.

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Specialized Riders Opt for the Roubaix

While Poland’s Michal Kwiatkowski won the race on a Specialized Tarmac, several other Specialized riders, like Mark Cavendish, chose the more forgiving Roubaix for Strade Bianche. The seatstays and the fork legs both feature Zertz elastomer inserts which are meant to damp vibrations.

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UHC’s Wild Card Wilier Cento1 SR

American team UnitedHealthcare got a wild-card invitation to Strade Bianche—the perfect place to showcase Italian bike sponsor Wilier’s Cento1 SR. Look at the chainstays: That’s not a trick of framing—they’re asymmetrical, with the driveside stay dipping lower than the nondrive to better counteract chain torque. A full Shimano Dura-Ace 9000 mechanical group and Dura-Ace wheels are matched with a Ritchey cockpit to outfit the frameset.

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New K-Edge GPS Mount

K-Edge has made quite the business out of aftermarket electronics mounts for bike computers and action cameras. Its newest is this stem-top mount for a Garmin Edge, which replaces a spacer under the headset top cap. The bolt in the middle lets the mount articulate to accommodate different stem rises, while the clean, lightweight setup puts the computer securely over the stem and leaves the handlebar clear.

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Maxxis 28mm Campione Tubulars

UnitedHealthcare is sponsored by Maxxis and mounts the company’s Campione tubular on its race wheelsets. The Campione is available to the public only as a 23mm tire, but for the gravel roads of Strade Bianche, the company gave the team something special: a 28mm, extra-wide version. Running a wider tire at a lower pressure yields a more comfortable ride while reducing the likelihood of pinch flats—without sacrificing rolling resistance.

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The Big Dogma

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad winner Ian Stannard is literally one of the biggest riders in the peloton. The Sky Classics specialist rides a giant 60cm Pinarello Dogma 65.1 Think2, shod here with nonsponsor-correct FMB tires. One new sponsor note: That blue patch on the non-driveside crankarm is a power meter from Colorado-based Stages, which picked up sponsorship of the famously data-driven Sky team for 2014.

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